No voting stations at some Auckland hospitals

A patient advocate says the fact some Auckland hospitals don't have a voting station isn't good enough.

The Electoral Commission has confirmed there is no voting place at Middlemore Hospital.

North Shore hospital also does not to have a voting station, although one is available around the corner.

That's despite other voting stations being set up at other hospitals like Auckland City and Waitākere.

Deputy chief executive of the commission's operations Anusha Guler said they provided a mobile voting service at Middlemore.

"We work with hospitals directly, and the type of service we provide will depend on what works for them, and the space available," she said.

"Our electorate manager has been working closely with Middlemore Hospital to arrange voting services for the 2026 General Election; these are the same as the services provided in 2023."

Guler said they will be offering a service on Friday for patients to vote.

"We are also working with the hospital to identify patients who have been in hospital for more than four days, as of 6 November, to ensure they have been offered a special takeaway vote," she said.

Chair of Patient Voice Malcolm Mulholland said every hospital throughout the country should have a spot for patients to vote.

"There will be patients where mobility is a major issue, they won't be able to leave the grounds," he said.

"It really is a denial of a patients democratic right to vote."

Mulholland said hospital staff did not have the time nor the resources to be "pushing patients in a wheelchair down to the nearest voting booth".

"That's another reason why we have to ensure voting booths are available in every hospital."

Health NZ have been approached for comment.